On 30 September, Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky told RIA Novosti that Moscow has offered Turkey a Draft Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) regarding the participation of Russian companies in the 1-1.5 mbpd Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline project. The Russian proposal constitutes the strongest signal up to this point that Russia is seriously considering TAPCO as an alternative to Burgas-Alexandroupolis.